Social Question

Do you think weed should be legalized?‎?

This is honestly a topic that I’ve always gone back and forth with in my mind. I would say “yes” that marijuana should be legalized, but in the way that cigarettes or alcohol are legalized—meaning you have to be over a certain age to buy it with the proper identification, and taxed. Marijuana is a drug, by all means, but it certainly isn’t as horrible of a drug as other drugs are, like methamphetamines or heroin. However, the other side of my mind has always said “no” that it should stay illegal because more people would probably abuse it if it was made legal to buy.

19 Answers

The bottom line is you own your body, and have a right to decide what to put in it, regardless of what damage it does to you. If you decide you want to swallow a large amount of bleach, that is up to you. When government tell you that you can not consume a drug, they are basically claiming that they have more rights over your body than you do, they are essentially claiming ownership of you like a slave.

The same applies to euthanasia, prostitution, or any other instance were the government forbids you from doing something with your own body. It is like outlawing food or masturbation, the government simply has no right, and any time they attempt to enforce such a law, they should be treated as hostile oppressors, and fought on the matter.

If drugs cause you to break other laws or cause you to act in a negative way, then those behaviors should be illegal, not the substance, as this leads to people using the drug as an excuse to justify their behavior.

I smoked weed for over 11 years, not once did I have to steal anything or hurt anyone because of it.

Furthermore, prohibition did not work with boxing, alcohol, or anything else they have tried. By outlawing it all they are doing is pushing the activity underground, and putting money in to the hands of serious criminals. If you can’t keep drugs out of a super maximum security prison in the middle of a desert, then there is just no hope of stopping it in the streets.

People who are against drugs are not going to start using drugs just because it is legal, sure, a few new people would perhaps try them, but so what, their body, their choice.

Yes, and on a par with alcohol. Get it out in the open, let people out of jail, and when it is mainstream tax it. And no private growing. Around here grow houses are more dangerous from overloading the power circuits and causing fires,

Yes, and controlled and taxed the same way alcohol is. It should be a state issue so, just as there are dry states, there may be weed free states. (you can move if you don’t like it) And, come to think of it, tobacco should be available under the same constrictions. Or is it already? I’m so far away from that issue that I don’t keep up.

@Blondesjon It’s not all users that make us feel this way. It’s the loud ones that give the rest a bad name. Although, I know some very high functioning potheads and I still find them annoying when they’re high or talking about weed (which is a lot). I don’t get the point of smoking pot, but annoyance and confusion is no reason to keep it illegal.

Absolutely, for several reasons.
The most important reason being the stupid effects of criminalizing something that is victimless.
The next most important reason would be allowing the tiny minority people who might have an abuse problem to be in the open about it and get some help without going to jail.

Besides that it’s a far more harmless way to let your mind have a vacation than alcohol.

As far as growing your own, if it’s legal you could have some plants in the backyard.
No need for sub-code wiring in the basement.
Or if you really want a grow-op at home you could do all the infrastructure on the up-and-up, safely, no fire hazards etc. I think normal zoning laws about businesses in residential neighborhoods should apply though and that should cap the size of any home grow-op.

The list is potentially endless. You can’t ban something because it may potentially be abused (the theory behind the effort to ban electronic cigarettes). You establish regulations for responsible use (“responsible” and “marijuana” don’t seem to go together, do they?) and encourage users to abide by those regulations.